WAAST Prayer Guide – October 10, 2021

This week pray for PASTORS AND CHURCH PLANTERS

The majority of WAAST students and alumni are in pastoral ministry. Their contexts and congregations vary widely, from small villages to large cities, from a few dozen people to a few thousand, in areas where the gospel message is embraced to communities where it is openly opposed. The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges, as pastors depended greatly on WhatsApp and other media platforms to stay connected. Many pastors, especially in villages, have had little income as their members’ livelihoods have suffered. Still, they continue the work of preaching, discipling, counseling, and helping people with spiritual, emotional, and material needs as they can. Most pastors also actively plant new churches, targeting an area with a team, visiting door to door, then holding meetings and beginning an “annex” church. During the pandemic lockdowns, some new churches were formed as small groups met together in homes. These annexes eventually grow to become sovereign churches and repeat the process.

Please pray

• for spiritual and emotional encouragement and material provision for pastors and their families who still struggle because of the pandemic. Churches in Togo were locked down again on September 17 and reopen today (October 10);
• that the Spirit would give wisdom to pastors as they help people see Jesus clearly in the midst of challenges: opposition to the faith, sickness and poverty, false doctrine, etc.;
• for greater opportunities for pastors to meet with and bring people to Jesus through social media;
• that the Lord would surround each pastor with wise, supportive lay people to help in the church and with church-planting projects. Many lay people lead annex churches.

Look What the Lord Has Done!

Some pastors report their congregations have grown during the past year, as people listened on social media and then began to attend house groups or attend services. Many Muslims and others who would not normally attend a church have found the Lord through online services and are now being discipled.